warner



R. P WARNER.

MOTOR CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FlLED SEPT. 20. 1915.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

l/Vl/EN ma P05 P WARNER WITNESSES. M

A TTORN E Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROE P. WARNER, 0F KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 CARL C. BLANKENBURG, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

MOTOR-CONTROLLER.

Application filed September 20, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROE P. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motor controllers.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in motor controllers of the general type shown in the patent to A. Kimble, No. 942,382, patented Dec. 7, 1909. Motor controlling switches of such type, in which the circuit is opened to stop the motor by moving the contacts into engagement with a piece of insulating material, are often open to the objection that arcing takes place when the contacts are in or as they are moved to or from this position so that the insulating material becomes pitted or burned away at ends of the fixed contacts so that the movable contacts catch and cannot be swung upon the fixed contacts.

The objects of this invention are: First, to provide an improved motor controller which will be free from the objections indicated above. Second, to provide an improved motor controller adapted to be carried by the end plate of the motor frame in which the circuit is opened to stop the motor without moving the commutator brush contacts from the contact segments. Third, to provide an improved motor controller of the type described which is simple in construction and economical to produce and which makes a strong and durable structure in service. Fourth, to provide in a structure of the class described improved commutator brush supports and means for facilitating the removal of the same and to provide a motor controller, the parts of which are readily removable for the purposes of renewal and repair.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 51,638.

the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a view in side elevation of an end plate of a motor frame equipped with a motor controller constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. II is an inner plan view of an end plate equipped with my improved motor controller. Fig. III is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. II showing the construction of the commutator brush supports and the contact connected therewith. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail fragmentary View corresponding to a part of Fig. II and showing one of the contacts in position to open the circuit and stop the motor.

In the drawings, similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawing, my invention relates to improvements in controlling devices for starting, stopping and regulating the speed of a single phase, alternating current, commutating motor in which the speed is regulated by advancing the commutator brushes relative to the commutator from the starting position until the position of maximum torque is reached. The end plate 1 is adapted to be secured to the end of a motor casing or frame and is provided with a pair of outwardly extending arms 2 which carry the disk or plate 3 which has a bearing 4 for the commutator end of the motor shaft. The end plate 1 and said arms 2 together with the plate or disk 3 form a substantially, cylindrical chamber within which the commutator revolves, said commutator being represented in Fig. II by the dotted lines 5. A cylindrical member 6 is mounted over the cylindrical portion of said end plate, said member 6 being held in place by the arms 2 and being rotatable with reference to the end plate and forming the side wall of the commutator chamber. The cylindrical member 6 is provided with a pair of bosses 7 in each of which a sleeve 8 of insulating material is slidably mounted. lVithin each of these insulating sleeves there is disposed a metallic sleeve 9 by which the commutator brushes 10, of carbon or similar suitable material, are carried. A metallic contact strip 11 is carried by each of said commutator brush supports or sleeves 8, the lower end thereof being electrically connected with the metallic sleeve 9 which supports the commutator brush. Said contact strips 11 extend inwardly and the inner ends thereof are bent laterally as at 12.

A ring 13 of insulating material is secured to the end plate 1 at the edge of the cylindrical chamber in which the commutator revolves, as shown in Figs. 11 and 111. Contact segments 11- are mounted on said ring 13 as shown in Fig. 11 and the end 12 of each contact strip 11 is adapted to engage one of the segments 1%. A handle 15 is provided, by means of which the cylindrical member 6 may be rotated relative to the end plate.

A pair of posts 16 are mounted on said insulating ring 13 at diametrically opposite points thereon between the segments 14 and connected by wires 17 and 18 respectively with the source of current. At the end of each contact segment 14, adjacent the corresponding post 16, there is provided a post 19 electrically connected with said segment.

A spring switch or contact arm 20 is pivotally mounted on each of the posts 19, said arm being adapted to extend so as to c011- ta'ct with the adjacent post 16. lChe contact arm 20 is wrapped around the post 19 and provided with a tripping tail 21 projecting rearwardly therefrom and adapted to be engaged by the portion 12 of the contact 11 when the latter is moved into position ad jacent the post 19 by the rotation of the member 6. A spring 22 fixed to the post 19 and having a portion engaging the contact arm 20, normally holds the same in contact with the post 16. l'lowever, when the contact 11 is moved into position adjacent the post 19, the portion 12 of said contact engages the tail 21 of the contact arm 26 so as to move the same, against the tension of the spring 22, out of engagement with the post 16 so as to open the circuit.

From the description of the parts given above, the operation of the structure should be very readily understood. The posts 16 are connected with the source of current through the wires 17 and 18 respectively. One of the wires 17 or 18 may be connected with the stator winding of the motor if desired before it is connected with the post 16 so that the current flows through the stator winding of the motor before it flows to the commutator brushes. When the contacts 11 are in the position shown in Fig. IV with the portions 12 thereof engaging the tails 21 of the contact arms 20, the same are moved out of contact with the posts 16 so that the circuit is opened. To start the motor, the member 6 is rotated, by means of the handle 15, moving the portions 12 of the contact strips 11 away from the tails 21 of the contact arms 20 so that the springs 22 move the latter into engagement with the posts 16 and close the circuit which flows through the wire 17, post 16 and contact arm 20 to the segment 1% and the commutator brush l0 and then through the commutator and the rotor winding to the other commutator brush 10 and the other segment 11 and thence out through the post 19, arm 20, post 16 and wire 18. As the member 6 is rotated by means of the handle 15, the brushes 10 will be advanced so as to reach a more advantageous position as regards speed until the contacts reach that position which corresponds to the position of the brushes at which there is a maximum torque.

The commutator brush supports are easily removable, together with the contacts car ried thereby, as they are all carried by the insulating sleeves S which are slidable in the bosses 7 of the member 6. These projecting sleeves, striking against arms 2, limit the rotative movement of the member 6 and also prevent the member 6 from moving longitudinally of the arms 2. When the sleeves 8, together with the commutator brushes 10 and the contact 11, are removed, the member 6 can be removed from the end plate so that access to all of these parts is afforded. The portions 12 of the contacts 11, by means of which connections are made with the commutator brushes, are at all times in engagement with the motor segments 11, and the circuit is opened by means of the manipulation of the contact arms 20 so as to remove the same from electrical contact with the posts 16. We have shown two of these contact arms 20 but only one of them is necessary as the circuit would be opened by the removal of one of these contact arms from the post 16. In such a case the other segment would be directly connected with the source of current. However, it is desirable to provide one of these contact arms for each segment so that the operation of the controller will be rendered more certain.

it will be apparent that, although 1 have shown but two commutator brushes and two segments 1%, my invention is adapted to a greater number of commutator brushes, for instance four or six. Under such circumstances the number of segments would be correspondingly increased. It would not be necessary to increase the number of contact arms 20 as all of these segments of each se ries might be connected together. These changes, however are more changes in detail and would lie within the province of any one skilled in the art and are contemplated as being entirely within the spirit of my invention.

1 am aware that the particular embodiment of my invention which I have here described is susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, 1 do not wish to be restricted to the same. However, I have found that the particular form here shown is desirable and therefore, I desire to claim the same specifically as well as broadly as indicated by my appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination of an end plate for the motor frame, said end plate being provided with a shaft bearing, a ring rotatably mounted on said end plate, sleeves of insulating material slidably mounted therein, metallic sleeves carried thereby, commutator brushes carried by said metallic sleeves and brush contacts in electrical connection with said metallic sleeves, a ring of insulating material carried by said end plate, segmental contact members mounted on said ring, said brush contacts engaging said contact members, a pair of posts on said insulating ring electrically connected with a source of current, a contact arm pivotally mounted on each of said contact members and spring pressed into engagement with one of said posts, each of said contact arms having a tail adapted to be engaged by the brush contacts to move the arms out of engagement with said posts and open the circuit, all coacting substantially as described.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination of an end plate for the motor frame, said end plate being provided with a shaft bearing, a ring rotatably mounted on said end plate, commutator brushes carried by said ring and insulated therefrom, contacts electrically connected with said brushes and movable therewith, a ring of insulating material carried by said end plate, segmental contact members mounted on said ring, said brush contacts engaging with said segmental contact members, a pair of posts on said insulating ring electrically connected with a source of current, and a contact arm pivotally mounted on each of said contact members and spring pressed into engagement with one of said posts and having a tail adapted to be engaged by the corresponding brush contact to move the arm out of engagement with said post and open the circuit, all coacting substantially as described.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination of an end plate, a ring rotatably mounted thereon, commutator brushes carried by said ring and insulated therefrom, a brush contact electrically connected with each of said brushes, segmental contact members carried by said end plate and insulated therefrom, each of said brush contacts engaging one of said contact members, a pair of posts carried by said end plate and insulated therefrom and electrically connected with a source of current, and a contact arm pivotally mounted on each of said contact members and spring pressed into engagement with one of said posts and having a tail adapted to be engaged by the corresponding brush contact to move the arm out of engagement with said post and open the circuit, all coacting substantially as described.

4. In a structure of the class described, the combination of an end plate, a ring rotatably mounted thereon, commutator brushes carried thereby and insulated there from, a brush contact electrically connected with each of said brushes, segmental contact members carried by said end plate and insulated therefrom, each of said brush contacts engaging one of said contact members, a pair of posts carried by said end plate and insulated therefrom and adapted to be electrically connected with the source of current, a switch electrically connected with each of said contact members and normally coacting with one of said posts and adapted to be opened by the corresponding brush contact to open the circuit.

5. In a motor controller, the combination of an end plate, a plurality of segmental contact members carried thereby and insulated therefrom, a ring rotatable relative to said end plate, commutator brushes carried by said ring, brush contacts connected with said brushes and engaging said contact members, connections between said contact members and the source of current, and means whereby when said brush contacts are in engagement with predetermined portions of said contact members said electrical connection is broken.

6. In a structure of the class described, the combination of an end plate adapted to be secured to the end of a motor frame, arms extending laterally therefrom, a shaft bearing carried by the outer ends of said arms, a ring rotatably mounted, relative to said end plate, on said arms, commutator brushes removably carried by said ring whereby said ring is removable from said arms when said brushes are removed, brush contacts connected with said brushes, and contact segments carried by said end plate and adapted to be engaged by said brush contacts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

ROE P. WARNER. [1,. s.] Witnesses:

LORIN V. WARNER, Josnrrr A. GABEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained (or flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

